A dear friend called me to talk about her first-grade daughter, who was complaining of boredom in school. As a former educator, she wanted my advice. The family didn’t want to change schools or teachers, but they did want to ensure their daughter stayed engaged and...
Being a former teacher, I typically get questions at this time of year about how to address the dreaded “summer slide,” the loss of learning that takes place when kids have months off from school during the summer. If a long break makes parents nervous, reflect on an...
Stepping Stone School’s flexible school-age learning program, first instituted in the spring when elementary schools were closed, has already proven a safe option for parents who are unavailable to oversee their children’s online learning. With upgraded environments...
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced today that its partnership with AmplioSpeech, a leading provider of speech pathology technology, has reached 10,000 Texas students with special education needs. The collaboration is a response to the COVID-19-related shutdown...
For many Austin families, summer came before we expected it. Not the summer of pool parties, sprinkler playdates, and sparklers with neighbors after dark, but the summer of lots and lots of unexpected family togetherness. When you add in anxiety about the state of the...
With schools and colleges closing and shifting curriculums online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students are learning from home, which means parents and guardians are sometimes having to serve as de-facto teachers. Brainly, the world’s largest online learning...
The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) released recommendations for K-12 school districts grappling with COVID-19 and the challenges associated with teaching at this time. “TCEA recommends that schools assess readiness for transitioning instructional...
Research shows that when kids are exposed to the arts, all areas of learning improve. Every child possesses a combination of learning styles, or one mode which is dominant. Here are some unique Austin experiences and fun activities that support different learning...
A new study, which may have implications for approaches to education, finds that brain mechanisms, engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things they’ve learned before, may boost later learning. Scientists have already established that...
Online all the time? 2013-07-29 Author: Jennifer VanBuren Last month’s column discussed the Texas Virtual School Network, a specific network of approved online courses that high school students can take as a part of their traditional face-to-face education. Students...
The virtual reality of online education 2013-06-27 Author: Jennifer VanBuren It may sound like something from a science fiction movie, but virtual schools have been with us in Texas for years. From private and charter schools held almost exclusively online to informal...
Texas public schools are required to participate in standardized testing to comply with federal and state laws. The standardized test that Austin-area students take is called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness program, or STAAR. Implemented in the...